Coaching legend, activist George Raveling to headline inaugural program

Rowan University, which this semester launched the Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact, will host a discussion Oct. 30 by legendary college basketball coach, civil rights activist and Nike executive George Raveling during the center’s inaugural speaker series event.

A towering figure, Raveling in 1963, then a recent graduate of Villanova University and formerly one of its star basketball players, served as part of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s security detail when King delivered his seminal “I Have A Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

After his address, King gave the original manuscript of the speech to Raveling, who has it to this day.

Dr. John Giannini, a former head basketball coach at Rowan, the University of Maine and La Salle University who this semester returned to Rowan to head the newly formed Center for Sports Communication & Social Impact, asked Raveling to give the Center’s inaugural address.

“When we included social impact as part of our Center’s mission, Coach Raveling became the perfect inaugural speaker. He has witnessed some of the most impactful times in our nation’s history. He has been at the forefront of discussion on race and society. Those who know him speak to numerous examples of his positive impact on the lives of strangers who became friends and colleagues. He is admired for his impact on others and society as well as his constant efforts to better himself through a voracious appetite for learning and reading.”

Raveling held coaching appointments at Villanova, the University of Maryland, Washington State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Southern California and with the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team. His coaching career culminated in selection to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, as one of the leading contributors to the history of the game. 

Following his coaching career, Raveling became Nike’s Director of International Basketball. In this role, he traveled the globe, experiencing the world’s diverse cultures and promoting basketball on Nike’s behalf.

 “George can speak on countless subjects through his vast life experiences and his continuous pursuit of knowledge. His lifelong love of reading has earned him the nickname of ‘The Human Google.’ He speaks profoundly on our history and the challenge of attaining wisdom, but he is especially interested in discussing the future. He enjoys the company of students and looks forward to his Rowan visit. A hallmark of a great university is an open exchange of ideas,” Giannini said. “George is a champion of this principle.”

College of Communication & Creative Arts Dean Sanford Tweedie said the Center, which is housed within his college, was created to challenge and inspire students in the new B.A. in Sports Communication & Media program by exploring the role of sports in popular culture and believes the inaugural speaking engagement will do just that.

“George Raveling is exactly who we pictured when planning this speaker series,” Tweedie said. “And this inaugural event is exactly the type of opportunity we hoped to deliver to our students through the Center.”

Raveling’s address will be held Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Tohill Theater in Bunce Hall on Rowan’s Glassboro, N.J. campus.